قطعواthey severed الأرحامties of kinship بينbetween الأخوةthe brothers
قطعوا الأرحام بين الأخوة
صيرواthey made الأوطانhomelands أسthe foundation of الأمةthe nation
صيروا الأوطان أس الأمة
They severed the ties of kinship between brothers;
They severed the ties of kinship between brothers
They made homelands the foundation of the nation.
They made homelands the misfortune of the nation
قدسواthey sanctified الأوطانhomelands إعجاباout of admiration بهاfor them
قدسوا الأوطان إعجابا بها
قسمواthey divided الإنسانhumankind أسراباinto flocks بهاthrough them
قسموا الإنسان أسرابا بها
They sanctified homelands out of admiration for them;
They sanctified homelands out of admiration for them
Through them they divided humankind into flocks.
They divided man into herds because of them
طلبواthey sought الجنةparadise فيin بئسwretched القرارthe abode
طلبوا الجنة في بئس القرار
فأحلواso they lodged قومهمtheir people دارthe abode of البوارruin
فأحلوا قومهم دار البوار
They sought paradise in a wretched abode,
They sought paradise in the misery of settlement
So they lodged their people in the abode of ruin.
So they made their people the land of destruction
محقobliterated الجنةparadise هذاthis الشجرthe tree
محق الجنة هذا الشجر
ليسthere is not إلاexcept الحربwar فيهon it ثمرfruit
ليس إلا الحرب فيه ثمر
This tree obliterated paradise;
This tree bears no fruit but war
It bears no fruit but war.
Man denied the face of his brothers
أنكرdisowned الإنسانhumankind وجهthe face of الإخوةbrotherhood
أنكر الإنسان وجه الإخوة
وانتهتand ended قصةthe story of الإنسانيةhumanity
وانتهت قصة الإنسانية
Humankind disowned the face of brotherhood,
And so ended the story of humanity
And the story of humanity came to an end.
Man's spirit departed and he passed away
ذهبdeparted الإنسانhumankind روحاin spirit وانقضىand ceased to be
ذهب الإنسان روحا وانقضى
بقيتremained أقوامهits peoples وهوwhile it مضىpassed away
بقيت أقوامه وهو مضى
Humankind departed in spirit and was no more;
His peoples remained after he was gone
Its peoples remained, while it had passed away.
The politicians assumed the office of religion
منصبthe office of الدينreligion حواهtook possession of it الساسةthe politicians
منصب الدين حواه الساسة
فنمتso grew فيin الغربthe West هذيthis الآفةscourge
فنمت في الغرب هذي الآفة
Politicians took over the office of religion,
And so this affliction grew in the West
So this scourge grew in the West.
The story of the religion of Jesus came to an end
دينthe faith of عيسىJesus بطلتcame to naught قصتهits story
دين عيسى بطلت قصته
وخبتand died down فيin دورهits houses شعلتهits flame
وخبت في دوره شعلته
The story of Jesus' faith came to naught,
And its flame faded in its abodes
And its flame died down in its houses.
The bishops were dumbfounded by it
عجرwas unable الأسقفthe bishop عنto تقديرهappraising it
عجر الأسقف عن تقديره
حادثhe conversed with الأزلامthe divining arrows عنabout تدبيرهits governance
حادث الأزلام عن تدبيره
The bishop was unable to appraise it;
The evildoers strayed from administering it
He conversed with the divining arrows about its governance.
The people of Jesus belittled his covenant
قومthe people of عيسىJesus حقرواthey belittled بيعتهhis church
قوم عيسى حقروا بيعته
أبطلواthey invalidated فيin سوقهمtheir market سكتهhis coinage
أبطلوا في سوقهم سكته
Jesus' people belittled his church;
They invalidated his statute in their market
They rendered his coinage worthless in their market.
The secularist tore the garment of doctrine
مزقtore الدهريthe materialist ثوبthe garment of المذهبthe creed
مزق الدهري ثوب المذهب
ومنand from الشيطانSatan قدindeed وافىcame نبىa prophet
ومن الشيطان قد وافى نبى
The materialist tore the garment of the creed,
And the devil came to a prophet
And a prophet indeed came from Satan.
That Florentine worshipper of idols
ذاthis الفلورنسيthe Florentine عبدa servant of الوثنthe idol
ذا الفلورنسي عبد الوثن
كحلهhis kohl أودىdid away بنورwith the light of الأعينthe eyes
كحله أودى بنور الأعين
This Florentine was a servant of the idol;
Whose kohl destroyed the light of eyes
His kohl destroyed the light of the eyes.
He wrote for the angels an abhorrent book
خطhe penned للأملاكfor the kings سفراa book منكراreprehensible
خط للأملاك سفرا منكرا
وبذورand the seeds of الحربwar فيناamong us بذراhe sowed
وبذور الحرب فينا بذرا
He penned a reprehensible book for kings,
And sowed in us the seeds of war
And sowed among us the seeds of war.
He tore truth with the edge of his pen
مزقhe tore الحقtruth بحدwith the edge of القلمthe pen
مزق الحق بحد القلم
فطرةan innate nature تؤثرprefers عيشa life of الظلمinjustice
فطرة تؤثر عيش الظلم
He tore truth with the edge of the pen;
A innate nature that prefers living in injustice
A nature that prefers a life of injustice.
The age helped make his forgery evident
آزرAzar العصرof the age بداbecame apparent تزويرهhis deceit
آزر العصر بدا تزويره
خطةa scheme بدعاunprecedented جلاunveiled تفكيرهhis thinking
خطة بدعا جلا تفكيره
The deceit of the age's Azar came to light;
A scheme whose profound thinking is exposed
His thinking unveiled an unprecedented scheme.
The king made his religion a god
جعلmade الملكkingship إلاهاa god دينهhis creed
جعل الملك إلاها دينه
كلevery قبحugliness نالهreached it تحسينهhis embellishment
كل قبح ناله تحسينه
His creed made kingship a god;
Finding a justification for every evil
He made every ugliness look fair.
He made benefit the criterion of integrity
جعلhe made النفعadvantage عيارthe measure of الذممconsciences
جعل النفع عيار الذمم
حينماwhen خرhe fell prostrate لهذاbefore this الصنمthe idol
حينما خر لهذا الصنم
He made advantage the measure of consciences,
When he bowed down before this idol
When he fell prostrate before this idol.
Trickery became a perfect art
صارتbecame الحيلةtrickery فناan art محكماperfected
صارت الحيلة فنا محكما
ونماand grew الباطلfalsehood مماfrom what علماhe taught
ونما الباطل مما علما
Trickery became a perfected art,
And falsehood grew from knowledge
And falsehood grew from what he taught.
He weaved for us decay on the path of fate
خطةa scheme للوهنfor weakness فيناamong us حبكاhe wove
خطة للوهن فينا حبكا
فيin طريقthe path of الدهرtime ألقىhe cast حسكاthorns
في طريق الدهر ألقى حسكا
He wove a scheme to weaken us;
And cast filthiness on the road of time
Along time's path he cast thorns.
He blinded people with this wisdom
أرمدafflicted with sore eyes الناسthe people بهذيwith this الحكمةwisdom
أرمد الناس بهذي الحكمة
إذwhen دعاhe called التزويرdeceit بالمصلحةby the name 'expediency'
إذ دعا التزوير بالمصلحة
With this wisdom he made people's eyes sore,
When he claimed hypocrisy in the name of reform
When he called deceit 'expediency'.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.